My first few months in Soc Trang were a little difficult because that was the first time I had come to a different country. That was also the first time I had to seriously study and practice a different language in order to do things like buy food, ask for directions, find the bathroom and hail a taxi. I came to Soc Trang to teach English, but I also came here to learn more about the communities that live in Soc Trang. These are the communities my students and my coworkers are part of; these are the communities in which all of the traditions, languages, foods, music, jobs, and dreams of people in Soc Trang survive.
In the beginning, my biggest challenge was learning Vietnamese, the common language in Soc Trang. Even though many students and teachers at the college where I work can speak English, when I go outside of the college, I have to use Vietnamese. Right now, I am one of the only foreigners in Soc Trang, too. That means that I stick out everywhere I go. People who notice me will often stare at me. However, they usually don't do that because they don't like me or don't want me to be here. Instead, people usually look at me because they are curious. Where did I come from? Why am I here? People sometimes come up to me and ask me questions or just say "hello." Sometimes people talk to me in English, and other times, people will talk to me in Vietnamese or Khmer.
